Objective: To begin looking at life consistently from God’s perspective.

Your son has just been rushed into the emergency room at the hospital. He was severely injured in a traffic accident, and is not expected to live…

You’ve just discovered that your teenage daughter is pregnant…

The house payment is past due; the dentist is threatening to turn your bill over to collection. Your telephone has been shut off, and you’re facing a layoff at work…

Your husband is a hopeless alcoholic. He becomes violent when he is drunk…

Crisis is part of life. We cannot escape difficulty. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33) In short, life is a battleground. But it is not the crisis that creates the problem; it is how we react to it. The pain of trouble can be eased by the attitude we take toward it.

When two Christians face the same tragedy, one may become depressed and defeated while the other draws closer to God. What do you think is the reason for this?

Some Christians believe that God has let them down when they find themselves without money, health, or prestige, or in severe straits. Such an attitude leads to coldness of heart, prayerlessness, distrust, worry, and selfish living.

In this study you will learn about unrecognized blessings and how attitude makes the difference between a defeated outlook and a victorious

God’s People in Trouble

In Exodus 14:1-4, the Israelites experienced an unrecognized blessing. As you read, notice the human viewpoint of the people and God’s viewpoint as seen in Moses.

How did the Israelites react to apparent danger? (Exodus 14:10-1210 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” )

Notice how Moses reacted. Why do you think he commanded the people as he did? (Exodus 14:13-14)

What did God accomplish in their hearts and minds through this experience? (Exodus 14:31)

Think back to a crisis in your life. How did those around you respond? How did you react? How could you have improved your attitude? List ways God has worked through difficulties in your life, and shown these difficulties to really be blessings.

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“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do goodunto all men,especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10)

These words give authority to the church, or Christian community, to be involved with benevolent work and for supporting charitable institutions. They give the Christian and the Church a mandate and expresses what ought to be the motivating principle of the heart of the people of God. Whetherindividuallyorcollectively, Christians should indeed be involved in “doing good” to all men.

We “do good” to men when we support the poor and weak (Acts 20:35; I Thess. 5:14), a thing the apostles testified they were very eager and quick to do. (Gal. 2:10) This “doing good” is but the manifestation of true“brotherly love” and the fulfillment of the command of God to love our neighbor as ourselves.

We are told in scripture that Jesus“went about doing good.”(Acts 10:38) This involved helping the poor and sick, but it also, more importantly, involvedproviding men with the means and opportunity of salvation and forgiveness of sins, and in teaching them divine truth. Notice these words of Jesus that were sent to John the Baptist when he was prisoned.

“The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” (Matthew 11: 5 KJV)

Christians do good when they promote both healing and help for the body and the soul. Christians are concerned for the entire well being of their neighbors, albeit thechief concern is with the state of theirsouls before God and his law.

James said that “pure religion and undefiled before God“ is one that is expressed in theactivities of “visiting the fatherless and widows” in the time of their afflictions.(James 1:27) These are styled “good works (deeds)” and are such activities that God is pleased to see his people involved in.

Churches and Christians are to be “good Samaritans.”

Wrote John:

“But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?“(I John 3:17)

This is not simply our “brother” in Christ, or “brother” in our particular church. This is evident from two considerations.

First, all men are to treated as our brothersin Adam, with brotherly love and affection (so Paul taught saying, to all men, believers and unbelievers, “we are all God’s offspring” — Acts 17:28).

Second, when Paul says, “especially to those who are of the household (family) of faith,” he picturestwo familys, the family of manand thefamily of God.Christians are members of both families and have responsibility to each, only in their proper order and concern.

This “doing good” is to have a priority attached to it. Our brothers in Christ, in the church, come first before those who are not Christians. So, Paul says, “do good especially to the family of God,” the body of Christ. We do make this distinction.

Jude also spoke of making this distinction, this discrimination, when he wrote:

“And of some have compassion, making a difference: And otherssave with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”(Jude 22,23)

We must provide“for our own”first, but this ought not to negate our interest in doing the same to “all men” with the hopes that God will be glorified thereby.

“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”(I Tim. 5:8)

Here Paul again speaks of the distinction in our givingto and support of others. We have our immediate family and our extended family. Which is to come first when there is limited supply? Again, the immediate family is to come first. This is true with regard to our natural family as well as our spiritual family, the “family of God.”(Eph. 3:15)

The immediate family (the church of our membership) should come first. But, if there are additional resources, then we are to help the extended family of God (members of other churches) and then “all men,” who form the larger circle of the families of which we are members.

What “good” are we as Christians? I thank God for all the good that the church and Christian community have done in this regard. Some decry this work, arguing that the church ought not to collectively be involved in such things, saying the church is only to be involved in spiritualactivities as preaching and praying. But, they are wrong, and the verses above show it to be wrong.

My Christian friend, let us keep our mandate ever before our eyes and always be eager to help our brothers. God is well pleased when we do.

Of course, none can do any spiritual “good” in his sinful fallen state. The scriptures teach that “there is none that does good, no not one.” (Psalm 14: 1-3 & Romans 3: 10) Yes, moral good he may do, and such conforms to the law of God, but spiritual good, good deeds done with love for God and from faith in him, are what make a moral deed a spiritual deedwell pleasing in the sight of God, and a deed to be “accepted” and “rewarded.”

“Without faith it is impossible to please God“ (Hebrews 11:6) and this is why the “plowing of the wicked“ (a good moral deed) is sin (not a spiritually accepted deed).” (Proverbs 21: 4)

Men must have “faith” to “do good.” They must do things with the right motive, for the glory of God and from a heart that loves him and delights in obeying him.

“Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” (Romans 14: 23KJV)

“But to do good and to communicateforget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” (Hebrews 13: 16 KJV)

Here Paul refers to the good deeds of the saints as “sacrifices,” as pleasing and acceptable sacrifices. This “doing good” involves our“communicating”good things to others, both of our “carnal things,” such as food and clothing and help for the body, but also of our “spiritual things,” the means of salvation, or the message of the gospel, that is, it involves help for the soul. (Romans 15: 27 & I Corinthians 9: 11)

“I follow the thing that good is.” (Psalm 38: 20KJV)

A good soul cannot help but do good, just as a good and healthy treecannot do anything but produce good fruit.

“Doing” good is to “follow” the good and to not follow evil.

“See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.” (I Thessalonians 5: 15KJV)

Notice how there is duty to thehousehold of faith, which is always first and foremost, and to the family of man in general, as regards our doing good to others.

All Christians should seek to be “wellreported of for good works“ and those who are described as having “diligently followed every good work.” (I Timothy 5: 10KJV)

“Who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?“ (I Peter 3: 13KJV)

“Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.” (III John 1: 11KJV)

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a pencil maker taught a pencil 5 important lessons
1. everything you do will always leave a mark.
2. you can always correct the mistake you make.
3. what is important is what’s inside you.
4. in life you will undergo painful sharpening which will make you a better pencil
5. to be the best pencil you must allow yourself to be held & guided by the hand that holds you.
let the hand of God hold you today to be the best pencil.

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All bible verses (quotes) quoted in NIV
I am accepted…
• John 1:12 I am God’s child.
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God
• John 15:15 As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
• Romans 5:1 I have been justified.
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
• 1 Corinthians 6:17 I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit. But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 I have been bought with a price and I belong to God. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
• 1 Corinthians 12:27 I am a member of Christ’s body.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. • Ephesians 1:3-8 I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. • Colossians 1:13-14 I have been redeemed and forgive of all my sins. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
• Colossians 2:9-10 I am complete in Christ.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
• Hebrews 4:14-16 I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ.
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
I am secure…
• Romans 8:1 I am free from condemnation.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. • Romans 8:28 I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
• Romans 8:31-39 I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I cannot be separated from the love of God.
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died more than that, who was raised to life is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:”For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be
slaughter”No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 I have been established, anointed and sealed by God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
• Colossians 3:1-4 I am hidden with Christ in God.
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
• Philippians 1:6 I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me.
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
• Philippians 3:20 I am a citizen of heaven.
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
• 2 Timothy 1:7 I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
• 1 John 5:18 I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me. We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. I am significant…
• John 15:5 I am a branch of Jesus Christ, the true vine, and a channel of His life.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. • John 15:16 I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
• 1 Corinthians 3:16 I am God’s temple.
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
• 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 I am a minister of reconciliation for God. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
• Ephesians 2:6 I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
• Ephesians 2:10 I am God’s workmanship.
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
• Ephesians 3:12 I may approach God with freedom and confidence. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. • Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

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At these point in life I come to admit that what matters most in life is not your life but someone else’s life.

Its better the one minute you spend with someone than the whole day you spend alone merely concentrating on your self.Having said that,i get to my main issue which is deposits and withdrawals.

Lets take an analogy of a bank,whereby there are three main operations or rather transactions..Firstly one has to open an account secondly one oughts to make deposits into that bank account carried out and finally one can now freely come back and withdraw from the account.

Bank aside.Lets relate these with our lives now.Look at someone else as the bank and lets relate these three transactions.

Opening an account in ones life is that time when one knows about someone,you may have something in common or otherwise.Well you may get to know there name what they do and something about there lives.With these in consideration u have an an account in there lives just coz they have known or rather met.

To keep these account active you ought to put some deposits into it.How do you do these?When you meet them smile at them of course as you say hi,and kindly do not assume them.Find how they are doing and try to identify with them in whatever situation they might be undergoing,help them where necessary and if possible purpose to visit them and share a cup of coffee or a meal together and appreciate all the good things about them ,then genaral interest in there wellbeing is advisable.By now your account is well off and you are set to go do some withdrawal.

Imagine one day walking on a lonely street and suddenly meet these person! He will definately say hi and smile back.Why because you once deposited a smile unto there lives.oneday you find yourself in trouble and probably ask for hielp.that person is the most likely to help first and most just because you once helped.

imagine attempting to withdraw from where we’ve never deposited only to be told “sorry please make some deposit to actualize your withdrawal” it will be too late i tell you.

In short am simply saying that lets try to impact other people’s lives most in various ways for instance through resources,time,concern and any other way applicable.With these we will have people attending to us we least expected.